


All the roads lead to you (baby I am yours)

by LilouMaria



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: 100 Ways to Say I Love You Writing Challenge, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24776152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilouMaria/pseuds/LilouMaria
Summary: There are many different ways to say I love you. Claire and Neil know them all.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 34
Kudos: 50





	1. Pull over. Let me drive for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone ! (The story will be completely free of any spoilers of the last episode of the last season, but don't read this note if you don't to hear about it, because it will be mentioned.)
> 
> This is in honor of the legendary ship Melendaire, a paring that I have been in love with since the very first episode of the show. And I believed that it would be a nice way to do it, since Neil and Claire have been having this kind of slow burn going on ever since their first scene together. It was all about knowing they cared about each other, but never explicitly saying anything. 
> 
> Because our hearts have been broken by the last event at the end of the third season - the tragic death of my beloved Melendez, I decided to write this for the two characters, that I believe, are meant for each other.  
> (I really hope he's not really dead, and this just a way to trick us into believing he is, after all, we never saw any heart stopping)
> 
> I just want to add that I am not a native-english speaker, I am in fact french, and this is my first work ever that I write in this language (i don't really believe school assignments count). So please, feel free to correct me on anything, it would be very appreciated, and kind of you.
> 
> We are exactly 100 days away from Septembre 25th, with is the date of the release of the first episode of the third season of the Good Doctor, so even if I don't believe it will air at the same date, i thought it would be great to have one chapter a day that corresponds to one sentence of the "100 Ways of saying I love you" Challenge. I do not promise that I will be able to keep up with the rythm, but I will do my best.
> 
> Thank you for reading this note,
> 
> I hope you will have a good time reading this story, i certainly had one writing it.  
> Long life to Melendaire !
> 
> (and #BringbackMelendez)

Claire could barely keep her eyes open. It was dark. It was cold and she was exhausted. Even the heater in the car couldn’t perform miracles on someone who hadn’t slept for the last thirty-six hours. She was so freaking tired, and the night wasn’t even nearly over. 

It wasn’t the first time she had to maintain an active mind in a state of total exhaustion. Being a medical student taught her to ignore her most important needs, like sleep for 8 hours and eat 3 meals a day, in order to focus on her studies, what was the only important thing at that point. But, today driving for 5 hours somehow felt even more tiring than spending an entire day reading and learning pages and pages of medical books.

Melendez, Morgan, Shaun and Alex were sitting in the same freaking car. And she was driving, because she had the honor of being the fantastic winner of one of Morgan’s childish ideas to pick the designated driver.

Right from the start, it was clear Shaun wasn’t an option for a safe driving that lasted seven minutes, let alone seven hours, and none of them was willing to risk their lives. All that was left to do was to choose between Morgan, Alex or her. Of course, they hadn’t let Melendez play. Which residents would ask from their own attending that he drove them all the way to the hotel, while they peacefully slept in the back? Thank you very much, they were far too proud to demand anything to him. Besides, it would be very awkward, to only imagine such a situation.

It was such a shame, because she actually felt like this was going to be a good day. Sure, she hadn’t slept at all, having spent the night at the police station trying to get her mother out of the cell she was put in, because apparently, she had been screaming in the streets, almost naked, at two am. And Claire was still the person they contacted when they needed someone to pick her up.

But today was supposed to be the meeting’s day, where numerous teaching hospitals gathered during a special event, designed to help improve the liaison and transition from a medical student to a future doctor. They weren’t actually supposed to participate, but it had been a last-minute decision, so this year, Melendez’s team of residents had been designated to attend the day-long representation, at the other side of the country.

The years before, Doctor Glassman had never deemed it necessary for his residents and attending to participate, but Andrews, whom they were meeting back there later tonight, thought otherwise. He said it would only be positive for them to be there and help their cohesion as a team, but Claire also believed that it was a good way to refresh the hospital’s reputation, and secure his place as president.

After a quick discussion, they had all agreed to meet in front of the hospital early evening to clarify all the details of their departure. Claire still reflected on how and why exactly she had let them pick her as the driver.

Morgan had been coming back from the vending machine that had been installed near the main waiting room of the hospital. It had become a welcome distraction, that parents often relied on to calm their crying kids on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Nothing was worse than a crying child in the middle of a place where calm and quiet were so appreciated, and it was also very useful for sleep-deprived people who needed a snack, especially young residents who didn’t have time to eat a solid meal. Crackers were always the solution.

Claire was wondering where on earth the other woman was going to find straws, but she could be very stubborn, so, you could never be sure of anything with the blonde.

She arrived with a smile plastered on her face, walking proudly away from the corridor. Her blue eyes were sparkling with malice and she had her left hand in her back, obviously hiding something from Claire’s view.

“Do they sell straws or did you have to cut into the plastic to make them?” Park asked, who had been very quick to agree on Morgan’s idea.

“Ha-ha, very funny, Park”, the blonde said. “I have found something better than straws. Because, we’re worth so much more than plastic straws, by the way, it’s bad for the environment, so it’s like killing one bird and two flies or whatever”.

Claire almost choked.

“It’s two birds, one stone” she interrupted, with an annoyed tone.

Morgan winked directly at her, then laughed.

“I know, I did on purpose to see you get mad. Glad it worked. Anyway, I found chocolate Mikado’s”.

Less than three minutes later, Claire had drawn the shortest chocolate stick, and therefore had been elected as tonight’s driver. She tried to convince them to do a rematch – it was only fair, you had to win at least two races to be considered the winner in any game – or at least looser in this case, but they didn’t change their mind.

“It’s not fair you chose one first, you’re the one who had them with you, I’m sure you cheated!” Claire finally accused, but her voice lacked the heat that generally came when she argued with Morgan, and really meant it.

Park’s face probably showed that he believed it wouldn’t be surprising, but he obviously was also very glad he didn’t have to drive, so he kept quiet, and Morgan huffed before disappearing without a word to retrieve her traveling bag. Claire sighed, but accepted her faith.

5 hours, 2 breaks later, she could barely keep her eyes open to watch the road. She wasn’t going to crash the car, but she knew she was in no fit condition to continue driving. Around her, the others were quiet. Conversations had been long over; everyone was probably too tired to even try to launch themselves into a discussion. She didn’t know how she felt about that, because while silence was a relief – she didn’t think she’d be able to maintain both talking and driving at the same time, chatting also kept her awake. What would happen if she didn’t stay awake long enough? Would she eventually let go of the steering wheel and provoke an accident? At least they were doctors, she laughed internally. She didn’t really know what was funny about that. All five of them, bleeding out in the middle of the road, the car fuming as paramedics were stuck in the traffic. Why was she laughing already?

“Claire?”

She jumped out at the sound of Melendez’s voice, and frantically turned her head towards him. He sounded weird, his tone was strange: uncertain and worried at the same time, if that made any sense. 

“I’ve said your name three times before you reacted. You’re exhausted.”

It wasn’t a question, she knew that. But still, Claire felt the need to assure him that she was fine. She could keep driving. She was going to keep driving, no matter what. She tried to voice her thoughts, but the words were a lot harder to say than to think, and she was actually confused when it didn’t come out the way she’d wanted it to.  
\- Fine, s’just okay. Sleep, you ‘fine.

She could almost feel his concern growing, but she couldn’t care about it. Not right now, when her head was pounding, she was cold, and, oh my god, why was her leg shaking? She inhaled deeply to remain calm. A minute later, she heard him again.

“Pull over. Let me drive for a while.”

Melendez’s voice was calm, collected, and nice. It made her feel warm and safe, maybe because she was so used to things being okay, when Melendez was taking care of them. At the same time, he sounded sure of him.  
But she slipped out of it the second she realized what he meant. And Claire was very stubborn, and very proud. She was perfectly capable of driving all the way to the hotels, without needing anyone to take over.

“I am fine, it’s just two hours left anyway. No point in switching now”.

“Actually”, interrupted Shaun from the backseat - unsurprisingly, he wasn’t sleeping at all, “you are supposed to take a break every two hour while driving. It has been more than two hours and 35 minutes since we last stopped. This is not recommended. You should listen to Doctor Melendez, Claire”.

She didn’t answer, too tired to turn her head towards any of them.

“The closest exit is in 3.5 kilometers, where restauration services, toilets and gas are provided”, the young man helpfully supplied.

“Yes Browne, you should listen to Doctor Melendez”, added the actual attending, and his smirk could be heard through his voice.

Claire couldn’t control it, but her eyes went straight to his. He was teasing her, in a playful way, like he often did with his residents, but this time, that tone he used when he said the last two words, it was different. And his reaction was just a confirmation; she had felt her cheeks redden, but when she went to take a look at his face, he seemed almost as surprised with what he had said, as she was. Like it had slipped away from his mouth, unattended, like he didn’t really want to say it out loud. Like a joke that was better left unsaid. Must have been the exhaustion that was getting to him as well. Claire didn’t dare comment on hit, aware of how awkward it would be.

A few minutes later, the young resident pulled over on the first empty parking spot she found, and closed her eyes the second the car stopped. Just a few minutes of rest, then she would go and do… whatever needed to be done. Thankfully, she was asleep in seconds.

The smell of coffee woke her up. It was still dark, and she was still behind the steering wheel, so they hadn’t left the station. The car’s door was opened on her side, that was weird, she didn’t remember doing that since they arrived. But when Melendez appeared, she eyed the coffee he was holding with a look of longing that her attending didn’t miss.

“Not for you Browne”, he whispered. Oh, yes, everyone except them was sleeping.

“Caffeine isn’t something you should want to have. It is known to be rather unhealthy, despise old thinking that made us think it was good. It can lead to severe anxiety, insomnia, cardiac problems through increased…  
Well, except them and Shaun, Claire taught with a smile.

“I know Murphy”, assured the surgeon, with a soft voice. “But if you want me to drive us there in one piece, you should let me have this”.

Now that the door was open, she could feel the fresh air of the night brush against her skin. She would soon start to shiver if she didn’t close it. But closing the door sounded so exhausting, she didn’t even want to think about moving her legs. But Melendez had apparently decided he was going to be very annoying today, and his voice, once again, interrupted her in the middle of a desperate attempt at falling back asleep. 

“Hey, come on. You have to get up.”

Could she just rest for five minutes? It was all she wanted, to be left alone, so she could peacefully close her eyes and dive into a much-needed sleep. Claire let out a pitiful whine, a noise that she would forever deny making, but the warm hand on her arm gently pushed her into a standing position, and then let go of her. She had wanted to drown into the warmth. Why did it have to leave? 

Far too soon if you asked her, Claire was up and walking towards the other side of the car. She tripped and almost fell but caught herself at the last second by laying a hand on the front of the car. 

She heard Melendez’s breath catch when she almost hit the ground, and knew she was in for a talk. He frowned when she tried to give him a faint smile, as if to say that it was all okay, no need to worry. But of course, stepping into his role of the good caring mentor, he was going to do it anyway. 

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look very tired, it can’t be just from driving all the way there. Do you feel sick?” 

Claire chuckled. Was he referring to the dark circles under her eyes? Or to her skin, who was far paler than usually? Maybe it was her bloodshot eyes that made it clear to anyone who took one look at her that she didn’t know the very notion of sleeping? Claire couldn’t be sure, but she knew there was no way to escape from this conversation.  
“S’fine. Haven’t slept in – she checked her watch, just to be sure that the numbers were correct, thirty-nine hours, now (why did she have to say that?). I’ll catch up tonight, everything’s find – fine, Melendez”.

When Claire saw the look on his face, everything was far from fine, it seemed.

“And you still went to drive for five hours? Are you that irresponsible? It is incredibly stupid. I can’t believe…You can’t be thinking straight, it’s something anyone should do, let alone you.” Melendez had raised his eyebrows at her and was frowning even more than before. 

She was far too tired to try to understand what he meant by that last sentence. All the she wanted was peace. And quiet. Just leave me alone. I am sorry. Horrified, she felt tears prickle at her eyes, and tried her best to hide it. Now she was going to cry? Absolutely not. Not in front of anyone. And least of them Neil Melendez, her attending. He sounded disappointed. Was he disappointed? Was she going to get fired? But _she didn’t mean it._

“Know. Sorry. Just, it wasn’t fair to them. Alex. And Morgan. Morgan wanted to play the game and I lost. I didn’t want to do it, but it wasn’t fair if I didn’t”. She slurred when she talked, never succeeding in forming the sentences she wished, but Claire had to try. She hoped she was being comprehensible enough because he needed to understand. She needed him to understand. The desperation must have been quite clear, because when Melendez answered, his voice was a lot softer. 

“Okay, okay”, the older man shushed her as he opened the door for her. “Here, get inside”.

He was very patient, and caring. It was good thing, she didn’t actually trust herself to find the right car even if it was the only one in the whole parking lot. He let her take the time she needed, making sure she wasn’t having any troubles with readjusting the seat so that she was comfortable. She found it actually funny – she almost wanted to laugh, the way he was so dedicated to making sure she was comfortable. Was he even going to help her with her seatbelt?

“Are you going to help me with the seatbelt too?” 

Had Claire really just said that out loud? Oh, my god. She couldn’t have said it out loud. There must have been a mistake, maybe it was just a dream? Everything sounded much better than Claire asking her boss if he was going to put her seatbelt one. How could she even look him in the eyes ever again? She had to fix it. Quickly.

“I am sorry. I am very tired, and I just…” The resident never finished her sentence, because her brain was too tired to think, there was nothing else she wanted to say. 

Melendez was looking at her, clearly amused.

“It’s okay, we’re both tired”, he answered. “Now rest, I’ll wake you all up when we get there.” 

“We will be there two hours, and forty-three minutes, according to the GPS Morgan installed on my cellphone”, another voice announced.

Melendez chuckled.

“Or Shaun will”.

_(It was indeed Melendez that woke her up later that night, a gentle hand – not quite on her cheek, not quite on her shoulder, brushing against her neck. Claire didn’t know it, but he saw her smile softly when she opened her eyes.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed !


	2. It reminded me of you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the feedbacks on the first chapter, I am so grateful for all your comments and I greatly appreciated it.  
> This is the second one, this chapter directly follows the first one, and it will be the case for the next one as well.  
> I do not know yet how exactly they will all be connected with each other for the rest of the story, but everything will take place in the same “universe”, if you understand what I mean.
> 
> This one’s a bit shorter, but I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much!

“Nurse Whitmore is definitely a fox, she had these red hair, just like them, but the eyes are just the same!”

Alex let a loud lough, but he didn’t disagree. The nurse Morgan mentioned was an extremely competent woman, who was also very dedicated to her work, and hated wasting time making small-talk with anyone. She was known for being the one who never laughed at any jokes, no matter how funny they could be. 

Claire sighed. Waiting was boring. And waiting for a meeting that wouldn’t eve probably be interesting was even more boring. Shaun, Alex, Morgan and her had been sitting for the past half an hour, desperately expecting something to happen. 

The rules were rather blurry, and none of them was quite sure of what they were allowed to do before the conference started. Because they couldn’t just go back to sleep – even if they definitely wanted to, the four medical residents were waiting in on the couch of what probably was an empty lounge-room in the hotel they were staying at.

Two of them – Morgan and Alex, had found a pretty funny game to pass the time – to them, at least, and they had spent the last thirty minutes trying to choose the animal that suited best the personal St-Bonaventure’s hospital. Apparently, after going though almost everyone they knew, and accordingly giving them a respective animal that they believed suited them best. And as of now, they seemed to be done with the nurses, and were switching to, –who was it already? Oh, them actually.

“Melendez is definitely a bear. All impressive, and rough on the outside, but I am sure he is softer than a marshmallow when you get through his carapace.” Morgan sounded somewhat sure of what she said, and Claire wasn’t going to be the one to disagree with her. She tried her best to ignore their louds cackling, because her head was still hurting from the lack of sleeping and eating, and she couldn’t wait to end her day in peace.

“What about Claire?” Shaun asked with a soft tone. The young man’s eyes were shining brightly, like he was finding this conversation very compelling, and worth paying attention to. He rarely took part in any of Morgan and Alex’s weird, lack of sleep-induced, distractions, but this time, he seemed to be honestly enjoying their talk.

“Something nice and soft. Cuddly.” Alex proposed.

“Cuddly and Soft?” She repeated with a strangled voice, eyes widened.

“A Koala!” Morgan almost shouted, with a big grin on her face, just as footsteps were heard, coming from the left hallway that laid to the room they were in.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Andrews and Melendez were standing in front of the four residents, the first one had his arms crossed, and he was staring at them like he believed they were planning something bad. Melendez on the other hand was far more used to the blonde’s strange ideas – she often made the weirdest comments during a surgery, or even discussing a case.

“We are currently deciding on which animal fits the best a human person, according to physical appearance and psychic factors. Morgan believes Claire should be a koala”, Shaun revealed to the newcomers, with an almost academic tone, like he was leading an experiment.

It was almost comical to see Andrews’ reaction; one eyebrow slightly lifted, he was clearly trying to decipher whether or not there was something meaningful to understand here. Finally, the edges of his lips curled into a faint smile.

“I don’t understand why you believed it would be an information I desperately needed to have, but I am glad you did, Mr. Murphy.”

“After all, it is supposed to be communication-improving reunion, right, Doctor Andrews? It helps us working better as a team, and I am thrilled to see such brilliant results in a short amount of time” Morgan asked, her tone holding the innocent sassiness that was very characteristic to her personality. She raised her eyes towards the President of the Hospital, as if pretending she had just made a comment on the current weather.

Andrews stared at her for a few seconds, but decided to ignore what she just said.

The conference had been long, but was now over. It wasn’t particularly interesting and compelling to watch, but Claire had been surprised by the she caught herself being very involved in the process of making sure that future residents were the most comfortable while starting at the hospital. Marcus Andrews even made a short apparition on stage, where he proudly presented the residency program of St-Bonaventure’s hospital and described it as one of the most understanding ones there could be. He then gave some numbers and statistics about how much their team focused on the well-being of their residents. After a few cheering’s from a moderately enthusiastic crowd, he returned to his seat with a smug smile.

Now they were silently walking back to the hotel, and he still wore a proud expression on his face, feeling entirely satisfied by the outcomes of today, probably even looking forwards to more opportunities like this one. 

“So what did you choose for me?”

“I am sorry?” Morgan asked, clearly confused about the subject. She turned towards Andrews, who looked like he was joking, but when he talked, his eyes were serious.

“You better have given me something impressive, Reznick”.

Claire couldn’t believe she was hearing correctly, but Morgan tilted her head with appreciation when she understood, and her voice didn’t waiver when she gave him an answer.

“I chose an eagle”.

“No you didn’t”, a voice immediately cut in.

“Yes, I did”, the blonde whispered, her murderous glare landing on Park’s amused face. “It was a royal eagle, doctor Andrews”.

Claire rolled her eyes, and ignored the questioning looks Melendez and Andrews sent her way. It was Morgan’s game, then it was her issue. Thankfully, Shaun stayed quiet. They probably could have just asked him, if they desired the answer that much, but Claire wasn’t sure Andrews actually wanted to know. Maybe it was for the best.

Everyone was heading towards their room, but Claire really wanted to eat something because her stomach had been wanting to ingest food since way too many hours, and the young woman was starving. She waved a quick goodbye to the rest of them, and started to reflect on where she last saw a place where she could grab something eatable. As the young resident was about leave, she heard him call her name.

Melendez had stepped off the elevator, and, as she turned to was throwing something her way. It was a small item, that could easily fit in the palm of her hands. Claire almost let it fall to the ground, but she caught it at the last second. As she held it between her fingers, she then saw what it actually was. Inside Claire’s hands, there was an adorable stuffed bear. With a greyish fur, it was extremely soft to the touch, she noticed as she brushed a finger against it. Just on the top of the its head, there was a small chain in metal that let her know it was probably a decorative ornament made for purses or keychains.

Claire’s eyes widened as she raised a surprised look towards her attending, confused.

“Is that… a koala?” She asked, slack-jawed with wonder. 

Melendez shrugged as he played with his hands, strangely looking a lot less comfortable than he usually was.

“Probably. I saw it at the souvenir shop and it reminded me of you.” He paused, hesitated for a few seconds, then added “take it as a thank you gift for driving even though you hadn’t slept in two days”. 

Claire was blushing. She was furiously blushing and there was no way to hide it. It was becoming very annoying, that for the last day, every single conversation she had with Neil Melendez ended up with her blushing. Maybe it was because it was the first actual time that they had seen each other out of the context of the hospital, so it was strange for the both of them.  
The resident lowered her head, pretending to look a bit more closely at he stuffed animal, and used the excuse to avoid the man’s eyes.

“Thank you. That’s... 

None of them seemed to fit, but Claire knew she could think of a thousand words that would end that sentence in many different ways - Wow, surprising, generous, unexpected, lovely, (I don’t understand), but…

“…very nice of you”. 

Melendez’s mouth curled into a small smile, then he wished her a good night.

“Don’t forget to wake up. We’re leaving in the early morning”

_(It became sort of a running joke between them. After a memorable night shared at a bar, Shaun, who was surprisingly good at it, drew on a paper a representation of all of them.)_

_(On the drawing, Andrews was represented as a weird eagle standing on the highest branch of the tree. It was now hanging in the corner of the a white board a hallway of the ER. Morgan laughed every time she saw it.)_

_(Claire kept the koala close to her and added it to her keychain. Because of course she did)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I really hoped you liked it! See you very soon for the next one ;)  
> (I am not a native English, please feel free to correct me on anything, and if you have an ideas or suggestions, you're more than welcome to share them here!)


	3. No, no, it's my treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments on the last chapter, this is the new one. Enjoy !

You could say it was just a coincidence, or you can call it faith, but Claire Browne and Neil Melendez, somehow, somewhat, often found themselves sitting next to each other in a car. Although this time, it wasn’t just a random decision, it had started this morning, where after waking up way too early for Claire’s exhausted body, she had joined everyone else in the main entrance of the hotel.

She wasn’t happy to leave this room and its very comfortable bed, but the young resident was glad that it meant she was going back home. Finally. Two days surely were not an incredibly long amount of time, but considering the fact that she barely slept and spent her whole time stressing over making a good impression for the hospital.

Claire sent a look through the window, and, although she was expecting it, was saddened to find out it was still very dark outside. 4 am after all, it didn’t wasn’t surprising that the sun hadn’t had a chance to rise yet. 

The hotel they had been staying at was a big, moderately luxurious one. In the main hallway, people were slowly starting to get ready for the day, and probably for the clients. But the atmosphere of the place was still very slow, very quiet and most of all calm, a feeling Claire relished into. The rare persons who were awake had either a bitter expression on their face (too early for them too, obviously) but she also cached sight of a woman who was coming back from an early jog. Incredible. 

She always nourished a strong admiration for these humans who voluntarily decided to wake up earlier just to run. Claire was never one to run. She never understood the love behind it, so she never really gave it a try, not seeing what made them so attached that they still did it everyday.

“I am not asking about your night, because it couldn’t possibly have been worse than mine”.

Morgan was the first one to join them. Her blonde hair wrapped up in a ponytail, the woman seemed to be just as angry about the early departure as Claire felt. 

“I think I slept for a total of three minutes. Not that the night was actually a lot longer than that, thanks to the brilliant decision to leave now. Who’s responsible again?”

She didn’t wait for an answer sent a look to Shaun. “What’s up Murphy? Please don’t tell me you spent the night reading, or I am going to feel so bad about these wasted minutes.”

Morgan, always the competitor. Shaun on the other way, was perfectly still, on a single sofa. He was reading a book about Neurosurgery and looked totally immersed in the subject. So in a very understanding manner, his brows frowned slightly when he was interrupted in the middle of an obviously very interesting part. Plus, Morgan’s voice wasn’t the most delicate thing to listen to first thing in the morning.

Claire disconnected herself from what the woman was saying, and took pleasure in the fact that the trip was finally over. The young resident felt like she could breathe for the first time in the last 48 hours, as her heart was relieved of the intense pressure it had been crashed under. Feeling lighter than she had in a while, she even let surprising smile appear on her lips. Until Morgan’s ever so charming voice graced the world with words Claire never wanted to hear.

“So Browne, what about we wait until Park get his ass here, then we play a rematch?”

Her eyes were once again sparkling with a light that shouldn’t be there. It was as if she had a complete and utter guarantee that she wasn’t going to end up being the one driving. She would hate Mikados forever.

“I will be driving. “

Did he just come out of his shower? She found herself unable to think about anything else as Claire took in the sight that her eyes had been blessed with. Neil Melendez had just arrived. His hair was still a bit damp, and it made her want to run her hand through it. The young woman tried to bury these thoughts away from her over-creative brain, but she just couldn’t let it go. 

Then Claire actually understood what he had just said and felt gratitude flood through her as she silently thanked him with an appreciative look.

No one dared to contradict the attending surgeon, and then he added, with a toned that could be comprehended as annoyed.

“And Resnick, shouldn’t you instead be offering to share with your colleagues the bad parts instead of trying to secure the most comfortable position for yourself? Browne did in fact drive us all there, and I didn’t hear any thank you. “

Did the blonde resident know that she hadn’t actually fulfilled her part of the deal? Claire didn’t know and she didn’t care. 

Morgan, bold as always and in an increasingly bad mood, tried to make a comment about riding shotgun but Melendez sent her a glare that shut immediately her up.

So here Claire was, sitting in the passenger seat of the car, not knowing where to look. She didn’t want to spent her entire staring straight in front of her, because it would be incredibly boring and long to spend more than five hours watching cars passing by without doing anything else. 

She could also try to engage into a conversation, but it was awkward talking with someone who was sitting behind her, because she’d have to bend her neck if she wanted to make eye-contact, or just look at them through the central retro visor, but Claire didn’t feel like it. Park had headphones on, and was frowning at his phone, probably conversing with his son, Morgan was dozing off, with her head leaning back. She would definitely hurt her neck if she spent a while in this position, noticed Claire. But the blonde probably knew that, or was too tired to care about it.

Shaun was sitting straight in his seat, his face was orientated towards the outside of the cars, where trees and hills were visible, but his eyes were still focused on the same book he had this morning. _He was the smart one_ , Claire thought, always the one to be doing something productive, where the rest of them stayed passive under the events that took place. She could only admire his way of constantly finding a plan, or a strategy to keep himself busy, and most important, his oh so brilliant mind occupied.

Last – but not least, prospect, was only turning her head a few centimeters to her left, where she would find her one and only attending, driving the car that she was supposed to. Claire wasn’t going to lie, she simply melted when we said with a determined voice, that let no place for change of mind or indecision, that he was going to be the one behind the wheel. 

The young brunette knew, deep inside, that Melendez acted the way he did because he was aware how unprofessional and unethical it would be to let his own resident drive in such a state. More than that, it would be a failure to keep forcing her to drive. It was his job, to make sure the four of them were safe, and Melendez was the last person who would encourage the course of a self-damaging action…

“You could go to sleep, you know. I am reasonably convinced you might need it.”

His brown eyes did not once leave the road, his face never shifted but Claire knew the words were meant for her, and only her.

She tried to formulate an answer that would politely let him know that his concern was sincerely appreciated, but not welcomed in the way that she was completely able to make her own decisions. But no matter how she phrased it, it sounded rude and ungrateful, and it was the last thing she wanted to communicate to Melendez. 

But Shaun always knew when to step in, sometimes it would ruin whatever was going on at the moment, but in other cases, like this one, his intervention could be life-saving.

“It has been two hours since we last stopped. I advise taking the closest exit so that we can take a break. Preferably if we could also have something to drink and eat. I didn’t have time to have breakfast at the hotel.”

“Got it, Murphy”, Melendez glanced at him through the central retro visor, and did just like he offered. 

Claire was still staring at her attending as he drove them along the road that lead to the station-service. Melendez was a focused man. He didn’t like to lose time or energy, always saying and doing what needed to be done, in the most efficient and effective way.  
Now that she was detailing what was in front of her, she noticed that his profile was just as unbelievably aesthetically pleasing as when she was looking at him from the front. entirely.  
The lines on his face were focused on the road, he wasn’t hesitating before moving his hands, and did every gesture, every movement with an assurance she found admirable, and it also made her heart flutter in an unusual way. 

“Let her sleep, I’ll go with you.”

She got up quickly, and headed out of the car. The surgeon was waiting for her a few meters away. Together they strolled down the empty parking lot, if it wasn’t for two trucks that were occupying a space at the other extremity. They soon reached the station-service, and stopped in front of a 24/7 bakery, and Claire felt a metaphorical drool drip along her chin. There were many things she wanted to eat, but she felt the most joy as the delicious smell of coffee infiltrated her nostrils. She wanted one. Now.

The brunette had forgotten she was supposed to choose between all these breads, pastry goods and cakes. She was not sure yet that she would not actually buy the whole store.  
“What are you having?” She asked the other man, who was also eyeing the items on display with an interested look on his face.

“I’ll take a croissant, and a black coffee”. Classic. Typical Melendez. It didn’t make him look less attractive though. 

Claire walked up to the counter, and asked for two croissants, a few muffins for the rest of them waiting in the car – she even took a sandwich that she hoped Murphy would like, plus an apple juice (if she wasn’t wrong, he always ate apples at breakfast, and that was the closest thing she could find), and of course, many coffees.

“I can order for myself you know”, said the older man as he slid next to her so that they were standing side to side in front of the cashier. 

The person serving them was a young girl, she couldn’t be older than twenty years old, with light brown hair and tired eyes, but she offered them a nice, honest smile.

Claire held a finger to his face, and greeted the young stranger with a polite nod.

“No, no, this is my treat. I’ll stand by it”.

Claire payed, tipped the girl with a rather generous amount, and turned to face Melendez. He was observing her as the corners of his mouth were quirking up. The croissants and the rest of the bakeries were freshly-baked, and still warm from the oven’s heat. She handed him the bag, so he could pick one, along with a steaming coffee that the machine had just finished making. 

“Thank you.”

Claire paused, but she still wanted to add it. 

“Take it as a thank you gift. After all you are the one who drove us back and forth. You deserve a compensation.” She hesitated once again, not sure if the man considered it as something he’d rather not talk about, or was even willing pretend it never happened. But the young brunette ultimately decided against it. She wanted to see what he would do.

“And you bought me a koala”.

If Claire didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that his lower lips quivered as he listened to the last sentenced. It made her feel a sensation of pride, the fact that her words had an effect on him, the idea that she could affect his mind, and his thoughts, simply by saying something so simple.

“And I bought you a koala.”

_(The rest of the drive was just as silent as the beginning. Claire kept watching him when she thought he wasn't looking. Except that he was.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you had a good time !  
> (Don't hesitate to correct me on mistake you might see, send your suggestions/ideas, and opinions on this !)


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